SYDNEY SPEECH THERAPY

Expressive Language

Expressive language is how we use language to share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas. It includes the words we say, the sentences we build, and the messages we communicate.

Vocabulary

Using a range of words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in sentences

Grammar

Using accurate grammatical structures in sentences (e.g., pronouns, past tense)

Vocabulary & Concepts

Understanding words, phrases, and
concepts such as time, location and size (e.g., before, next to, behind, smaller)

Question Types

Understanding wh questions (e.g., who, what, where), inferencing questions, predicting questions & abstract language

Sentence Structure

Putting words together in the right order to form clear and meaningful sentences

Grammar & Sentences

Understanding grammatical structures (e.g., past tense, plurals, pronouns) and sentences

Following Directions

Understanding and recalling single and multi-step directions. These are used in conversation at home and school

Sharing Stories

Sharing stories in a logical and organised manner

Signs to look out for:

Does your child have difficulty finding the right words when speaking?
Do they use gestures or pointing instead of words to communicate?
Do they struggle to put words together into sentences?
Do they have difficulty sharing what happened during their day?
Do they often say "um," "that thing," or "you know" instead of the word they are looking for?

Children can typically:
- Say their first word at 12 months old
- Use gestures like waving and pointing
- Use cooing and babble to communicate
Children can typically:
- Say at least 200 words at a minimum
- Combine words into 2-word phrases (e.g., go car, mummy no)
- Use words more often than gestures to communicate
Children can typically:
- Combine words into 3-4 word phrases
- Use early pronouns such as “me, you, I, mine”
- Ask simple questions like “What” and “Where”
- Talk about what has happened in the past, and may generalise ‘-ed’ (e.g., he goed there)
Children can typically:
- Use words like “and”, “so” and “because” to make longer sentences
- Describe recent events accurately
- Use personal pronouns (e.g., she/he)
- Ask lots of questions!
Children can typically:
- Use longer and more complex sentences
- Share a simple story with a beginning, middle and end
- Use grammatical structures more accurately